Love is War
by rebelxxwaltz
Summary: Can Tifa escape her loveless relationship with Cloud? Is Rufus Shinra just an arrogant jerk, or is there more to him? And why is Scarlet so hellbent on destroying him? Rufus x Tifa. r&r!
1. Prologue

OK. Hello out there. This is the first thing I've posted in a pretty long time. I want to apologize to anyone who might've had me on author alert and hoped this was an update to my Good Omens fic. I do plan to finish that soon now that I'm writing again, but this story is taking up most of my attention right now.

This fic will focus on a romance between Rufus and Tifa. Scarlet is also featured (yeah, really). The whole concept just dropped into my head the other day while I was trying to play my scratched copy of FFVII in my ancient monolith of a Playstation. I've hardly stopped writing since. God my hand hurts. Hopefully this will progress smoothly and I can finish the story in a timely manner. I warn you: the romance is a slow starter and the fic seems likely to be long. Feel free to leave threatening reviews. I find them rather encouraging.

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of the characters, and if any of them get drunk and/or violent I refuse to take responsibility!

**Love is Like a War  
Prologue**

_Blah, blah, blah, _thought Scarlet as the Minister droned on about love or the sanctity of marriage or whatever…God, this was almost as boring as listening to Reeve talk about urban planning! She tapped one foot impatiently. Functions like this were always such a drag!

"Do you take this woman to be your wife?"

The groom was a bulky, dark haired man wearing the mindless grin of one hopelessly in love. Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"I do."

His smile reached his eyes, which sparkled with bliss. He carefully slipped the wedding ring onto his bride's delicate finger.

Dio couldn't believe his luck. He never would have thought such a gorgeous and intelligent creature would want to marry him…

"And do you take this man to be your husband?"

The Minister's eyes went wide as the bride threw back her veil, revealing narrowed blue eyes and red, red lips.

"Yes I do. Now can we hurry up and get it over with?"

She quickly pushed the ring onto her groom's beefy hand.

Dio sighed contentedly. She was so spirited, so full of life…

Scarlet raised her eyebrows at the befuddled Minister.

"Well?!"

His mouth opened and closed, the words stubbornly sticking in his throat.

"Uhhm…I…now pronounce you husband and wife. You may…kiss the bride?"

Scarlet made a derisive noise.

"Kyah! We've got better things to do. Let's make tracks, _honey_."

She grabbed Dio's hand and strode towards the back of the chapel, throwing the bouquet of roses over her shoulder. They landed at the minister's feet.

Dio squeezed Scarlet's hand.

"I'm the luckiest man on earth," he said.

Scarlet just smirked. _We'll see who's lucky, _she thought. This was too easy. Who would have thought the world's second richest man was such a chump? Maybe she was actually lucky that Rufus had refused her…

…but she wasn't going to think about _that_.

Her only designs on Rufus Shinra now were ones that led to him being mercilessly crushed beneath the feet of her new empire—rather, her _husband's_ new empire.

Scarlet's smile grew as she eyed her beloved groom. The mindless fool smiled back.

And this was the beginning of a beautiful marriage.

**XXXXXXXX**

Hmm, what is Scarlet up to? She sure turned Dio into a sniveling wimp. I know he's rather…out of character…but what can I say? He was overwhelmed by Scarlet's charm.

We'll pick up with Rufus in Chapter 1. I hope you'll keep reading! Reviews appreciated.


	2. It's Lonely at the Top

Hi. I think we'll just jump right in here since my intro for the prologue was pretty lengthy. Let's see how that sweet little Rufus Shinra is doing today!

**Love is Like a War  
Chapter 1: It's Lonely at the Top**

The white light of early morning broke through the windows of Rufus Shinra's bedroom, in a suite adjacent to his company's new headquarters. The light crept across the plush white rug and reached over the clean white blankets, finally breaking its beams across the face of the sleeping President. The man's hair contrasted starkly with the crisp white of the pillow; sunlight always made the fiery undertones stand out. And most people thought he was just another blond…

Rufus' eyes blinked open. He shifted slightly, stretching his arms languorously above his head. This was the way he preferred to wake up. No grating alarm, no loud music. Just light. He sat up and looked around, allowing his eyes to adjust to the morning's brightness.

Almost everything in the room was white, and what wasn't white was black. Rufus found color needlessly distracting. Rather ironic sentiments coming from a man whose name meant "red", but Rufus Shinra was not the kind of man who took orders from anyone – not even the dead parents who named him. They wanted him to be red? He'd be white instead, thank you very much.

He'd never looked good in red anyway.

Rufus swung himself up out of bed, slipping a robe on over the silk pyjama bottoms he slept in. He walked down the hall to his kitchen. His coffee, the morning newspaper, and a pile of Shinra Inc. notices and briefs from the overnight hours awaited him. Like many of us, Rufus needed his coffee in the morning. He never came face to face with the maid who delivered it, but privately considered her somewhat angelic. So did most of his employees, who understood the importance of not having an extremely cranky President. He settled himself at the small table, which was situated beside a window overlooking the city of Neo-Midgar. He sipped the coffee and began to thumb through the notices.

It had been two years now since Meteor. Two years since the shape of the world had changed – since he'd been extracted from the ruins of Shinra HQ, the ruins of his former life.

Recovery had been easy. He hadn't been too badly damaged; and he was, in any case, rather stubborn when it came to not dying. And plenty of other things…

He'd rebuilt his company from the bottom up. He started with the few people he had left who were loyal enough to bother with and he built the company into what it always should have been. It was smaller, more cost-effective, more efficient, and extremely lucrative. Otherwise, why bother?

People didn't want power; they _needed _it. And they were paying Shinra for it quite willingly. After all, no one else had the brains or the resources to generate power from the new, clean sources Rufus had chosen to utilize. Wind, hydro, fuel cells…and that was what the people wanted. In a way, he was still holding them in his thrall with fear – the fear of mako, the fear of chaos, and their basest fear or the dark…

He'd rebuilt Midgar, too. More for his own profit than anything else…besides, it's not like anyone else had the money. He'd built it on hills instead of plates, and as the citizens breathed the free air above them, they looked to Shinra HQ atop Neo-Midgar's highest hill and thought of benevolent President Rufus who had saved them all. No one seemed to notice that they were even more under his control, more subject to his will, than they had been when they all hated him.

Sometimes he wished they still did. He'd had to hire an extra secretary just to separate the important mail from the missives of brainless grateful citizens.

Rufus paused when he reached the last memo. It was a wire from Reno, who he'd sent to Nibelheim to scope out the old mansion and see if the general atmosphere would be conducive to opening a branch of the company there. What caught his eye was that the wire appeared to have originated in Costa del Sol. If that lowlife was sitting in a beachfront cabana with some tanned tart…he arched an eyebrow and began to read.

**President Rufus,**

**Nibelheim inaccessible. All roads blocked.  
****Apparently something to do with Dio?  
****Please Advise.**

**Reno**

Dio? That musclebound clown from the Gold Saucer? Since when did he have the desire or the authority to block roads? Rufus finished his coffee and made for the shower. This was going to require some investigation.

**xxxxxxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxxxxxx**

At the very moment when Rufus Shinra was stripping his pajamas off and getting in the shower (rarrr ), Cloud Strife was waking up from a dream 50 miles away.

The dream had been about Aeris. They almost always were. He wished he could just forget. He _wanted_ to forget…he was happy now, happy with Tifa, so why did Aeris have to haunt his dreams? Speaking of Tifa, maybe some wake up sex would set his mind to rights…

He reached his arm over to the place where she slept next to him to find that she'd already woken and left the bed. He sighed and ran a hand through his blond hair, disheveled from sleep. He was wrapped in warmth with the sun breaking through the curtains and Tifa's enticing scent still lingering about him, but all he could see was _her face…Aeris…_

**xxxxx**

Tifa Lockhart was downstairs in the kitchen washing dishes. She hadn't even bothered to shower yet – she had wanted to get away from Cloud as quickly as possible and find something to occupy herself with, because she swore if she woke up just one more time to Cloud saying _her _name in his sleep she would throttle him to death right there in their bed…

Yes, their bed. For almost two years now they'd shared it. Just like she'd wished for, it was wonderful, really it was…Cloud had even proposed marriage, but they'd decided to wait. She'd decided. She just wasn't ready for marriage yet. Not ready because…because of…

_He can't help what he dreams about…_

CRASH

The plate had slipped from her hands just as the tears began to fall.

_The third plate this week, _she thought to herself. Which only made her cry more to think that she'd grown so numb inside as to think of the plate first…

How long could she allow this pathetic charade to continue? She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her pyjamas and sat down at the kitchen table.

They'd been living in Kalm for a year now after some time spent traveling with their friends. They'd settled into this domestic fairy tale with Tifa working part time at Kalm's inn and Cloud doing odd jobs around town…they appeared just as in love as everyone expected them to be. But at the very heart of their relationship was something hollow and rotten; a secret that was slowly rending Tifa's heart to pieces…

Cloud was still in love with Aeris. He was only with her to try to forget…and she hated him for it. She hated him…

She jumped up as she heard him coming down the stairs. It was her day to cook breakfast, so she went to see what was available in the refrigerator…

She didn't have a chance before she felt his arm snake around her waist. His hand up her shirt, lips on her neck, something hard pressing in from behind…

_He's doing it again, _she thought. _Using me to forget. Using me…_

He turned her around to face him, ripping open the top of her pyjamas unceremoniously. Buttons flew in every direction.

"Cloud…" she breathed as he gripped a breast, pressing her against the kitchen counter. He silenced her with a deep kiss.

_I have to leave him, _she thought to herself, the voice of reason growing faint in the face of her desire.

_I have to get away…_

All thought left Tifa's mind after that as Cloud removed the rest of her clothes and laid her gently on the kitchen table. It felt so good being close to him like this, so good…

She moaned as he pushed deep inside her, hooking one of her knees over his shoulder.

Maybe…maybe it didn't matter if he loved her or not…maybe she was just being selfish…maybe it should be enough…

But deep down she knew that it wasn't.

**xxxxxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxxxxx**

So how's that for a start? The sex scene came out of nowhere. I probably couldn't stop thinking about Rufus in the shower and had to write some smut! The next chapter will be along soon.


	3. Surrounded by Idiots

So here comes chapter 2. I hope anyone who's been reading has enjoyed the story so far! A big thanks to the one person who had reviewed so far by the time I posted the second chapter.

I've got pretty much the whole rest of the story planned out now; can't say how many chapters it'll be, but I've already got 6 written and I think I'll need at least 4 or 5 more to get it done. Yay for being able to tie up stubbornly loose plot-ends!

**Love is Like a War  
Chapter 2: Surrounded by Idiots**

Scarlet smiled deviously as she walked down the line of uniformed men. Their training was not yet complete, but they were still an impressive sight. This was the third class of men that had volunteered. Well, volunteered with some…persuasion. That made a total of six thousand men so far…she would need more…perhaps she could get Dio to impose some sort of mandatory draft.

Yes, this was all thanks to her dear husband. It had been even easier than she'd expected to manipulate him. She started the very night of their wedding, trying to make him understand (if she could get it through his thick skull) that money could be converted into power. And isn't power what every man really wants? He'd taken the bait – hook, line, and sinker.

Now it was a year later. She was very pleased with the progress of her plans. They'd gotten rid of that tacky funhouse of a casino, building in its place an impressive modern city. Most of the infrastructure had been there. It just required some…redecorating, and now New Corel City was just as cosmopolitan as Midgar.

She'd convinced Dio that others would do well to enjoy the benefits of his leadership. North Corel had been first to come within their sphere of influence. Her husband's offered aid was well received, even if his leadership was only grudgingly acknowledged. Gongaga was next. They'd been even less resistant. She expected their full cooperation would continue, as long as they didn't find out they were rebuilding the reactor…

With the new weapons she'd designed and her husband's fortune, they'd been able to assimilate pretty much everything between Cosmo Canyon and Costa del Sol without so much as a skirmish. Everyone came quietly, because who doesn't want the biggest kid on the playground to be on their side? They had tried to use their power quietly, biding their time and building their strength so that they could soon come out into the open to challenge better equipped and fortified enemies like Nibelheim, Cosmo Canyon, and Rocket Town…and eventually everywhere else. They were now almost ready to proceed with the second stage of their plan…

Her plan, really. But Dio made for a remarkably effective puppet dictator.

An officer came striding towards her from across the hangar where she had come to inspect the newest troops. He gave a crisp salute and handed her a slip of paper. She unfolded it to read:

**Preparations are complete.**

"Kyah ha!..."

The officer looked at her curiously.

She cleared her throat.

"Tell your men to get ready for departure. The Mt. Corel reactor is ready for re-activation."

The officer opened his mouth as though he had something to say.

"Are you hard of hearing Major? Just do it. Now!"

The major scurried away.

Scarlet grumbled.

"Simpleton."

Remembering the note, she went to inform her husband. After all, _he_ was Lord of Greater Corel, and soon everyone would know it.

He loved the title – said it sounded much more manly and powerful than "President". Men were so juvenile sometimes…

She smirked as she reached the door to Dio's study. Once the reactors were operating again she'd be able to manufacture super weapons and extract power that even Shinra couldn't stand against for long.

And then the world would be hers, and she could dump Dio with the rest of the trash. It'd be almost as sweet as her revenge on Rufus…

Rufus Shinra would wish he had never been born…the man who no one had ever seen bleed or cry…he'd bleed _and_ cry before she was done with him. Maybe if he was very lucky she'd keep him around for a diverting toy to play with, though she was sure he wouldn't care for the game…

**xxxxxxxxx**

Rufus Shinra buried his face in his hands. This was one of the many times while trying to have an important conversation with Heidegger that the young President almost wished he had never been born.

"Gyah…sir? Did you hear me?"

Rufus got out of his chair and looked at Heidegger menacingly.

"What I heard, Heidegger, was your attempt to tell me that the bodybuilding buffoon who owns the Gold Saucer is now a dictator with a powerful army, stockpiles of weapons, and control of an incredibly large mass of land. Is this impossibly ridiculous scenario something you expect me to _believe,_ or is this an exceptionally bad joke?"

Rufus leaned across his desk. Heidegger's moustache appeared to twitch.

"eep," squeaked Heidegger.

The sudden entrance of Reeve saved the portly man from very probable grievous injury. He walked briskly across the office.

"It may sound ridiculous, but it's true. Didn't you see the paper today sir? He's declared himself 'Lord of Greater Corel' or some such nonsense."

He handed Rufus a memo.

"This latest wire from Reno confirms it."

Rufus turned toward the window and read.

**President Rufus,**

**This guy Dio is taking over everything.  
These troops of his are everywhere.  
They won't say why the access road through the mountains is closed off.  
They're asking a lot of questions.  
It's getting too hot here, and not jus the weather.  
I'll be on my way to Junon by the time you get this message.**

**Reno**

Rufus' brow creased in thought.

"Reeve, do you know what's in those mountains?"

Reeve frowned.

"Only one thing I can think of."

Rufus looked back at the reflection of his own steel blue eyes in the window amidst the dusky background of the sun setting over Neo Midgar. _Is this cretin really stupid enough to start playing with Mako reactors? _he wondered to himself.

"Sir? Is there anything we should do?"

Rufus lifted a hand and brushed some errant strands of hair away from his face as he turned around.

"Not yet. But tell Rude and Elena I want them here first thing in the morning."

Reeve nodded and left. Heidegger eyed Rufus hopefully.

"I could, gyah, prepare some missiles, sir…put the old warships on alert –"

One look from Rufus was enough to silence him.

"Any _particular_ reason why you aren't gone yet?"

Heidegger hurried out the door.

_Idiot free at last_, thought Rufus as he removed his coat and slung it over the back of his chair. He poured himself a drink and sat down on the black leather couch opposite his desk. Resting his boots on the coffee table, he extended a hand towards the shadowy corner where he knew Dark Nation was lurking. His pet slinked over to sit beside him.

_This is just what I need, _thought Rufus as he stroked the big cat's neck, _some megalomaniac moron who doesn't understand what he's playing with…probably thinks he's going to find the 'promised land'…oh he'll find it alright…_

"He'll blow himself to Hell and probably take us all with him."

"Mrrowrr," replied Dark Nation.

"I suppose I'll have to do something. After all, this is sure to be bad for business."

He rolled his head back and forth between his shoulders, stretching his neck to relax it. He closed his eyes and emitted a low noise; like a growl or a purr. Dark nation rested her head on Rufus' leg. Rufus sipped the expensive, ice cold vodka.

"Mrarr…" the panther mewed sympathetically.

"I thought all this goody two shoes planet saving nonsense was AVALANCHE's job…"

**xxxxxxxxx**

Reactivating the reactors? You'd think Scarlet would know better! Wonder what happened to make her so angry at Rufus? Well, you'll have to wait until chapter 4 to find out. We'll visit Tifa and Cloud again in chapter 3 and see if they work out any of their little issues…I hope I've caught your interest! Review and let me know.


	4. It's Easier to Leave

Alright. Here we go with chapter 3, where we catch up with Tifa and Cloud and hear a bit about what the rest of the gang has been doing since the final battle. Things should be getting interesting. Read on!

The author doesn't own Final Fantasy VII or any of Square's wonderful characters. Hell, her copy of FFVII doesn't even work anymore (UGH)!

**Love is Like a War  
Chapter 3: It's Easier to Leave…**

Tifa wound her way home through the narrow cobblestone streets of Kalm. She enjoyed her job at the inn, though the pay wasn't anything special; it's not like money was a problem. They'd sold a couple of their faster Chocobos and a few of the mastered materia after their journey. It had amounted to enough so that all their friends could live comfortably for quite awhile. But Tifa liked work. It gave her something to do and helped her feel like a productive member of society. It didn't occur to her that helping to save the world was enough of a contribution.

She thought about her friends and what they were all doing. Most of them had settled into lives that made them truly happy – they all remembered what they discovered about themselves when Cloud told them to find out what they were fighting for.

Barret had returned to North Corel to help rebuild the town and reunify the community. It hadn't been an easy path to choose; many people in the town still blamed Barret for what had happened with the reactor. But after his role in defeating Sephiroth, and with his obvious dedication to the town, they were slowly coming around.

Red XIII was back in Cosmo Canyon, where he spent most of his time meditating and studying. Red was still young, but he was also determined to be a brave leader like his father had been.

Yuffie, on the other hand, knew that she wasn't yet prepared for the burden of leadership. She cared about Wutai – her share of the group's money and most of her materia had been left in trust for the needs and improvements of the kingdom. She'd left reliable enough people in charge. Chekov and Staniv were taking care of things for her while she continued to explore the world and visit her friends. Last time Tifa had heard from her, she'd been staying at the house in Costa del Sol.

There was another member of the group who preferred to spend time wandering. Vincent had disappeared shortly after the final battle. They all assumed he'd gone to Lucrecia's cave or Icicle, but he never seemed to stay in one place for long. He surfaced from time to time, popping in unexpectedly for quick visits with the others. It was strange, but he always seemed to know about things or remember important occasions which it seemed unlikely he would be aware of. The only place he spent any extended length of time was Nibelheim, where he kept a small place to go when he wanted to rest and not be bothered.

Rocket Town was quite the post-meteor success story, thanks largely to Cid Highwind. The residents hadn't known what to do with themselves until the Captain had returned. Cid had married Shera and started an aviation company. He still spent most of his time tinkering around with planes and the airship, occasionally serving as the pilot on one of the reasonably priced flying trips that the company offered. He'd overseen the erection of a large hangar where the rocket used to stand, and employed many of the town's residents to work on new aircraft which utilized Shinra's clean power cells for fuel. Cid tried not to get too covered with grease during the day, because if he was too dirty and oily Shera wouldn't let him hold the baby! #$&!!

Cait Sith's fate was unknown. Everyone knew that Reeve was back with the Shinra, and had been one of the main architects of the plan to rebuild Midgar. Tifa supposed he'd probably just dismantled Cait, or put him to work hauling heavy objects. Somehow she couldn't see the boisterous robot spitting out fortunes at Shinra HQ.

Everyone seemed to have found what they wanted, or were content to keep looking. Tifa knew that everyone assumed that her and Cloud had found that same peace within each other. If only that were true…

Tifa went over it again in her mind as she stopped to buy some fruit from a sidewalk vendor; she went over the words she was planning to use, to say to Cloud to tell him she was leaving. She had to do it…she had to get out of this situation before she really _did_ start to hate him. To save their friendship.

_Cloud, I can't play second fiddle to Aeris forever… I'm leaving for both our sakes… It's not fair to either of us…_

It all sounded so simple and logical in her mind. She worried that she wouldn't be able to look him in the eye and say it. She felt like she was abandoning him…what would he do when he didn't have her to help him forget anymore? And her – where would she go? Her life was here now. Would she have to start all over again?

_I have to do this for myself,_ she thought. _In the long run it's best for both of us…_

She sighed as she retrieved a pile of envelopes from the letterbox and unlocked the door.

"Cloud, are you home?"

"In the kitchen," she heard him call.

_Now's as good a time as any…_

He was sitting at the kitchen table, which was set with food and plates…and…candles…

"I made you dinner. How was your day at work? You look nice today…"

She set the mail on the table and took a deep breath. Cloud picked up the letters and started rifling through them.

"Work was fine. Listen, Cloud, there's something we need to talk about – that I need to tell you…"

"Oh, look," he interjected, "we got a letter from Barret. That's funny; it's postmarked a month ago. Must have gotten lost in the mail…"

He ripped open the envelope.

"Cloud—"

"Yeah, don't worry. We can talk after we read the letter."

His eyes darted across the paper.

"Hmm…I think you better read this."

He handed her the letter.

**Cloud and Tifa,**

**Hey you crazy lovebirds. I hope you're behaving yourselves in Kalm. Listen, something strange is going on up here. There are these unfamiliar soldiers all over town and someone has been messing with the reactor. I was hoping since you're close to Midgar you could do some investigating – find out if the Shinra have something to do with this. I know y'all are trying to settle down, but this is important. I can't let them wreck Corel again. Get me a message as soon as you can.**

**Barret**

Tifa sat down and looked over at Cloud with a concerned expression on her face.

"Do you really think Shinra would reactivate the mako reactor? I thought they used clean power now."

Cloud shrugged.

"Who knows? It's not like Rufus suddenly became a nice guy. I wouldn't put it past him to bring back mako if there's something in it for him. Maybe clean power isn't profitable enough. I wouldn't worry, though. I'm sure Barret has things under control, no matter if it's Shinra's doing or not."

Tifa stared in disbelief.

"You can't be serious. Cloud, why would he ask for our help if he has it under control?"

"Come on, Tifa, the letter is over a month old! And you know how Barret overreacts. Whatever help we might've given him I doubt he needs anymore. Can't we just get on with our lives?"

Tifa's eyes flashed with anger. She stood up and clenched her fists at her sides. Her flushed face contrasted sharply with her pale skin and the white shirt of her Inn uniform.

"Get on with our lives? Are you joking? I don't suppose that would involve you not thinking about Aeris anymore, would it!"

The color drained from Cloud's face, and he looked down at the floor.

"H—How did you—"

Tifa scoffed.

"How did I _know_? Cloud, you say her name in your sleep. 'Aeris, Aeris, I love you, don't leave…' Look, I know you can never love me the way you do her…"

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut.

"No…no! It's not like that. You're the one I love, Tifa. It's you, not her. Not A—Aeris…"

He let out a shuddering sob. Tifa took Cloud's hand in hers.

"Cloud…this isn't the way I meant to tell you. I've struggled with this for a long time. I have to leave. I think we both know that – before we can't stand each other anymore."

Cloud looked into her eyes for a few moments and gave an uncertain nod.

"I'm sorry. This hasn't been fair to you...do you think you can ever come back to me?"

"I don't know, Cloud. I need time to think, find out what I really want…"

Tears fell down her cheeks as she squeezed his hands one last time.

"All I can think of to do now is try to help Barret. I have to go to Midgar. After that, I don't know what will happen. Maybe we can work it out with time, but I think we both need this for now. Even if it hurts…"

Cloud got up and embraced her before she could leave the room.

"I do love you, you know."

She buried her face in his chest.

"I know…but not the way I need you to."

**xxxxx**

Cloud was nowhere to be found when Tifa left for Midgar the next morning. As she reached the Kalm city limits she wondered if she'd done the right thing. Did Cloud really understand? Would he be OK? And this journey she'd set out on…it was almost like fate that Barret would need her help just as she'd reached the end of her rope. She thought of Sector 7. Wedge, Biggs, Jessie, the plate…was it wise to get twisted up with the Shinra again?

She almost smiled as she urged her Chocobo forward. The uncertainty, it was almost nice. She'd forgotten what it was like to wonder what was going to happen next. And the adventure would keep her mind off of…other things. If only for a little while.

Riding across the plains, still masked in morning mist, she realized how alone she was – and that she hadn't felt so alive in months.

**xxxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxxx**

So Tifa's off to Midgar. Wonder who she'll run into there? Mwa ha ha! I love being the author, because of course I already know! In chapter 4 we'll get a look at where Cloud disappeared to, and see what's going on over at Shinra HQ – including some dirt about what happened with Rufus and Scarlet! Tell me how you like it so far!


	5. Symphony of Loneliness

Hi! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far.

I really like the way this chapter came out. I hadn't planned to do much with Cloud, but he pretty much wrote himself into the plot. I guess it's the Main Character genes reasserting themselves or something. And I _love_ the Rufus bits in this. I hope you guys enjoy it too.

**Love is Like a War  
Chapter 4: Symphony of Loneliness**

He'd been walking for hours. He didn't fear the dark the way some did; there weren't many bandits or monsters who were a match for his strength even in his distressed emotional state. All he knew was that he just had to leave there, to get away from that lie of a life he'd been living.

Tifa was right, of course. He didn't understand how he hadn't seen it before, seen how he was deceiving himself and how damaging it was for both of them.

He couldn't feel angry. Somewhere within him he'd probably known all along that this day would eventually come. But his life had become too convenient an escape. And he'd become so good at living it that it almost started to take the shape of truth…

Cloud snorted into the darkness, realizing the irony of his thoughts. After all, it's not like this was the first time he'd lived in some kind of made up world. Reality was just too easy to manipulate once you were equipped with the right tools…

He hoped Tifa would be alright, and that he hadn't hurt her too badly in his selfishness. Because he _was_ selfish; he was self-centered, too. He wouldn't even help a friend in trouble if it meant he might have to risk bringing the memories to the surface again…not for the first time, Cloud Strife wished he were a better man.

_She made me a better man… A better person…_

He shook his head as though he might dislodge her from his mind. Aeris – would he never be free from her?

And did he want to be?

Somehow he needed to find the key to all of this, but he had no clue where to start. Hell, he didn't even know where he was going.

It would be morning soon. He was pretty sure he was nearing the Chocobo Ranch. Maybe they would sell him a meal and a hay loft to rest in for awhile. Maybe he could figure out what he was doing or at least decide where he wanted to go. He needed some sleep, but that was a perilous operation. She was always waiting in his dreams…sometimes he wondered if he'd ever wake again. When had he become so weak?

_Maybe that's what love does to you,_ he mused. The tall grass of the pasture whispered around his ankles as the day began to dawn…

**xxxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxxx**

Rufus frowned as he adjusted the collar of his coat in front of the large mirror in his office.

_God, I look like father when I'm angry…_

He had just finished reading a completely idiotic memo from Heidegger suggesting that he re-hire Scarlet to design new weapons in case a "situation" arose with _Lord_ Dio.

_Why do I surround myself with such imbeciles?_

Heidegger's idea of a good way to stop a tidal wave would probably be to fire nuclear missiles at it – but he did have his uses…talents, even.

Scarlet, on the other hand, was one problem he didn't need to deal with. He didn't even know where she _was_ now.

_Hopefully far, far away._

His face contorted into something between a cringe and a sneer as he remembered their last meeting…

**OoOoFLASHBACKoOoO**

Rufus looked up from the papers on his desk as he heard the door click open. Scarlet walked in, wearing a red trenchcoat and high heels.

_Strangely conservative, _he thought. _But you can still smell her cheap perfume a mile away…_

"You're here awfully late, Scarlet. Whatever business you have, couldn't it wait until morning?"

Scarlet's lips twisted into a small smirk.

"Actually, this is more of a…_social_ visit. I have a proposition for you."

"Oh?"

Rufus arched an eyebrow. _I don't like the sound of this…_

Scarlet stepped closer, standing beside his desk and biting her full bottom lip.

"I want to offer you something…something no one else has been man enough to handle…"

She deftly untied the belt of the trenchcoat and began to pull it open.

Rufus froze. _She cannot be serious._

The trenchcoat dropped to the floor, leaving Scarlet in nothing but a lacy red bra and panties. Rufus diverted his eyes to the window.

"Scarlet, what in hell do you think you're doing?"

She stepped closer, until she was near enough that he could feel the warmth from her skin.

"Surely you've thought about it. I've seen the way you look at me. I'm not blind. You're getting to be that age, Rufus. The age when a man wants to start a family."

She reached out for his hand as she straddled his lap. She guided the hand to rest at the curve of her hip. Rufus stared at her in disbelief. She mistook his expression for entrancement under her seductive power. She leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Imagine what we can achieve together. The perfect marriage of brains, power, and sex appeal…we could rule the world and then pass it on to our gorgeous, merciless little children…"

She moved her lips toward his. He could smell the courage of several gin martinis on her breath. He squeezed his eyes shut. _What a nightmare…_

He could almost feel her grin, catlike and triumphant, interpreting his inaction as compliance.

"What do you say, love?"

His eyes snapped open, radiating the full force of their icy wrath. Hearing such an endearment from her foul mouth had snapped him out of his incredulous trance. His mouth set into a steely line.

"Get. Off," he whispered through clenched teeth.

"W-what did you say?"

He tasted the fear in her voice. _She should be afraid…_

"I said GET OFF," he spat with malice. He stood up suddenly, knocking the scantily clad woman to the floor. She stared up at his vengeful form. Her perspective made him seem larger than life, like an angry god. Her pleas stuck in her throat.

"Rufus, please—"

He let out a short, mirthless laugh, fists clenched at his sides.

"Please? Please _what_? Please choose a power-hungry whore for my wife? How about please tell me you're joking! Are you completely delusional? Even father knew his cheap sluts weren't marriage material. God, how many drinks have you _had_ tonight?"

Rufus didn't see the tear that rolled down Scarlet's face. She got to her feet, eyeing him desperately.

"You don't understand…I _love_ you…like I've never loved a man before! Where else will you ever find a woman as devoted to you as I've been? I know I can make you happy, Rufus!"

She tried to approach him again. He threw up a hand and stepped back. The light from a ceiling fixture shined down from directly above him, causing his hair to look like it was on fire. His eyes held a slightly manic look.

"You _love_ me? Now there's a laugh. Love my bank account perhaps."

He picked up her coat and threw it at her.

"You're the last thing that could ever make me happy, Scarlet. You don't know the first thing about me. Go clean out your desk. I want you _gone_."

A glacier held more warmth than Rufus' voice at that moment. Scarlet was devastated and confused by the harshness of his words and the suddenness of her defeat.

"But I—" she feebly began. Rufus fixed his steel blue, furious gaze upon her face.

"_Get out of my sight!"_

Shinra's young President turned to the window and the twinkling city beyond as Scarlet stumbled out of his office and into the cold night like a wounded animal, broken and whimpering.

**OoOoEND FLASHBACKoOoO**

That was over a year ago now. He hadn't seen her since, and he'd told no one about what happened. What had she been thinking? She couldn't have seriously expected him to want to _marry_ her…

'_Love…'_

He felt a shadow of the burning rage he'd experienced when she had called him that. Empty, hateful word…

'_Love…'_

That had been what the old man called his mother when he wasn't screaming at her or running around with his latest mistress. Only his father could take a word that was meant to represent something so beautiful and make it sound so vile.

Rufus _certainly_ wasn't ready to get married; and if he was, Scarlet probably wouldn't even stand a chance of being _invited_ to the wedding – never mind attending as his bride.

Maybe someday he'd find a woman – _one_ woman – who he could love without all the showy passionate escapades that most people got mixed up in. Someone…unobtrusive. Quiet. Mild Mannered. He was too busy to be bothered with a tumultuous relationship. That sort of thing was for fools. Rufus heard voices outside the door.

"…Gyah…"

He rubbed his temples. _Speaking of fools…_

Heidegger and Reeve came in, followed by Rude and Elena.

_Time to get back to reality, _Rufus told himself. He motioned the two Turks to sit down and relax, and began to deliver their new orders.

**xxxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxxx**

Wow; Scarlet, you slut! All the office gossip was true! Poor Rufus. Poor Cloud. Poor….Scarlet? ::sigh:: I sometimes feel bad for giving the characters so many problems (yeah, right!).

In chapter 5 we'll pay a brief visit to Barret in North Corel. Another member of the old gang is there with him. Can you guess who? It's not like there are that many choices! We'll also see more of Scarlet's scheming and catch up with Tifa in Midgar. I hope you'll check it out.


	6. Surveillance and Espionage

Here I am. I figured since I finally got a start on writing chapter 7 of this thing, I had better get chapter 5 posted before my backlog really begins to pile up. Lots of fun to get to in this chapter.

Disclaimers: I don't own Final Fantasy 7, and any grammatical errors when Barret is speaking are made by _him_, not the author.

**Love is Like a War  
Chapter 5: Surveillance and Espionage**

"Oh come on, let me look!"

Barret Wallace shifted quickly to avoid the seeking hands of Yuffie Kisaragi, who was trying to take his binoculars.

"Shit, how did I end up with a fool like you for a sidekick? How am I supposed to see anything with you pawin' at me?"

The two were hiding in the bushes at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Mt. Corel reactor.

"You should be happy for the help you can get! It's not like Cloud and Tifa answered your letter. They're probably too busy making sweet loooooove!"

Barret looked at the little ninja, most emphatically _not_ thinking about how easy it would be to snap one of her skinny ass legs in two.

"Will you shut up?! I thought ninjas was good at stealth. You're gonna get our asses caught!"

"Give me those binoculars, old man! I have better eyesight!"

Barret sighed and relinquished the binoculars. Yuffie had a point, he supposed – at least she was here with him. He hadn't expected word from Cloud and Tifa right away, but it'd been over a month now. He hoped they weren't in trouble. If the Shinra were involved and they'd been captured…

_There you go again, _he thought, _always expecting the worst. _He was shaken from his reverie by an exclamation from his partner.

"Huh?? HER?! What is _she_ doing here? Barret, look!"

He took the binoculars and looked where Yuffie indicated.

_Oh shit. Scarlet. One of Rufus Shinra's most trusty lapdogs…Looks like this is Shinra's doing…_

Barret was starting to think perhaps he was right to fear the worst.

"Come on," he motioned to Yuffie, "let's try to get closer. Might overhear something…"

**xxxxxxxx**

Scarlet had been immensely pleased with the inspection. The reactor was as good as new, and the men seemed more than competent. She was so pleased that she gave the OK to start the full activation immediately. She looked around the canyon as the proceeded down the stairs in front of the reactor.

_What a desolate place…_

She heard the rumble of machinery, felt the shaking ground as the reactor sprang to life. It sounded _glorious._

The sooner this thing started extracting mako, the sooner she could refine enough power from it to finish constructing her ultimate weapon. It would be smaller than the Sister Ray, more portable, and 5 times as powerful. _Thank God Hojo had stashed away all that old research…_

She wasn't sure what she'd call her spectacular weapon. 'President Punisher', perhaps? Or maybe something simpler, like 'Sweet Revenge'…

A soldier was suddenly beside her. "The reactor is fully operational, madam."

She grinned. "Good. That certainly went smoothly. We'll leave a garrison here, but I want you and your men to step up work in Gongaga as soon as possible."

The soldier frowned. "That job will be more difficult. That reactor is a total mess, and my men are tired—"

Scarlet fixed him with a cold stare. "The sooner you start, the sooner your _poor men_ can rest. Now, I'm heading back to New Corel. Lord Dio just _hates_ to wait for his news…"

She flounced away rapidly, the tails of a red trenchcoat streaming out behind her.

**xxxxxxxx**

Barret frowned, a deep crease forming in his forehead. Shinra in league with Dio? Something smelled rotten. He'd thought Dio was just a regular jackass, making like he was big with all his money, pretending to the throne without any real power…but if he had Shinra behind him, it could mean serious trouble. He wished he could find out what in Hell was going on.

Barret felt the sting of hopelessness as the reactor rumbled ominously.

_Cloud…Tifa…come on, gimme a clue…"_

**xxxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxxx**

Tifa considered her surroundings as she trudged up the hill towards what was obviously the new Shinra HQ. _Only Shinra could design something so ostentatious…they still dominate the landscape even though the reactors are gone. And the plates…_

She sighed, wishing she'd opted to stay on her chocobo instead of leaving it at the inn. She took in the view as she stopped at a busy intersection, shifting the small black satchel she had slung over her shoulder.

She was about three-quarters of the way to the top of the new city's highest hill. She was pretty sure the inn she'd started out from was in Sector 4, but it was somewhat difficult to tell now…the different sectors were named after flowers or dignitaries now, not delineated with cold numbers as in the past. The city was so different…but somehow it had kept the same _feel_.

It was brighter, yes, perhaps less squalid. There was still a lot of construction going on, since so much of the old city had been razed to the ground to make way for the new. So why did it still feel like the 'rotting pizza' of old?

_But then again, why shouldn't it feel the same, _she rationalized as she reached the top of the hill and got her first full view of the new Shinra building. _After all, some of the worst culprits are still here…_

Sure, she'd seen the fancy, environmentally friendly, high powered Shinra Windmills all around the perimeter of the city. She'd heard the stories of how they'd reformed and given so much back to the citizens of Midgar. But when it sounds too good to be true…

She just didn't buy Shinra as the newest members of the 'good guys' club. Especially not with Rufus still running things. Could anyone blame her for not thinking that the man who had been at least partially responsible for destroying her home, killing her friends, and trying to have her publicly executed for image purposes could suddenly be a shoe-in for sainthood?

_Not unless he sustained some major head trauma when Weapon attacked…_

As she observed the building's main entrance from a reasonable distance, she realized she had no clue exactly what she should do here. If only she could gain entrance to the building…find Reeve…surely he would know something. She'd have to do this without being seen. If Shinra _was_ up to something, it could be dangerous for her to be found here.

_Time to use some of those old espionage skills. _She smiled sadly as she pulled her dark hair back into a loose ponytail and adjusted her gloves. She thought of the old days, digging up dirt on Shinra with Barret and the rest of AVALANCHE before everything went crazy with Cloud and Sephiroth and Meteor. Back when things were simpler.

_Doesn't seem like security is as tight now…_

**xxxxx**

An hour later, Tifa was walking down a narrow, deserted hallway on the 27th floor. This building was quite a bit smaller than the previous headquarters, having only 30 floors. But that didn't make finding Reeve an easy task. He was important enough that he might have his office on one of the upper floors, for which she'd need an access card. _Nice to see that some things haven't changed, _she mused.

She looked up, noticing an air duct which seemed to connect with the elevator shaft. _Maybe the shaft connects to the air ducts on the floors above… _She suppressed her claustrophobic tendencies. _Haven't done this sort of thing in awhile…_

**xxxxx**

Rufus looked up from his paperwork as Reeve entered his office.

"You wanted to see me sir?"

Reeve tugged at a few scruffy strands of his goatee, which seemed to be a nervous habit of his.

_Why does he always do that? _Rufus wondered.

"Ah, Reeve. Good. Listen, you know I've sent the Turks to try and find out what Dio is up to. There's something I'd like you to look into for me in the meantime."

Rufus leaned back in his leather office chair and lifted one boot-clad foot to rest atop his desk. His hands were steepled elegantly below his chin. Reeve sat down in one of the chairs opposite him.

"Does this have to do with the reactors also?"

Rufus creased his fine brows thoughtfully, considering his reply.

"In a manner of speaking, yes—"

Suddenly there was a tremendous crash from above, and the last thing either man had been expecting occurred.

Amidst a rain of plaster and metal and accompanied by a brief scream, a beautiful woman fell out of the ceiling.

Reeve jumped out of his seat, startled, as the woman landed with a thud.

A slight flinching of his eyes was all that belied Rufus' considerable surprise. One corner of his mouth twitched slightly, whether in amusement or anger Reeve couldn't say for certain.

"It seems we have a visitor."

Rufus rolled in his office chair over to the unconscious woman. He knelt down beside her and examined her for injury. He removed his outer jacket and wedged it under her head like a pillow.

"She doesn't appear to be badly damaged. Just took a little knock to the head. Does she look familiar to you, Reeve?"

Reeve couldn't believe his eyes. The days just got weirder and weirder. What was Tifa Lockhart doing here?

"She does seem to resemble someone, yes," he commented dryly.

Rufus smirked and moved a lock of dark hair away from the woman's face.

"Silly woman. I guess after all that sneaking around she used to do with AVALANCHE, she forgot how to use a door."

**xxxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxxx**

Yay! I finally got Rufus and Tifa into the same room! If only that meant it would be easy to make them love each other now. Ha! Well, there's one thing that I can do for them, and that's make them attracted to each other. It's a start! They'll have a lovely little chat in the next chapter. We'll also see where Cloud has got to. Please r & r!


	7. Surprise Reunions

Here's chapter 6 for your enjoyment. This chapter focuses mostly on Tifa and Rufus, though we will spend a little time with Cloud. From here on in, I plan to update about once a week. Hopefully the holidays won't hinder the continued writing of this monster. Thanks for all the nice reviews so far!

Disclaimer: FFVII certainly doesn't belong to me. Can you imagine if it did? Lord help us all…

**Love is Like a War  
Chapter 6: Surprise Reunions**

_Cold…_

Tifa stirred, wondering why her head hurt so much. _Was I out drinking last night? _No, that couldn't be right…she could tell by the quality of light filtering through her closed lids that it wasn't morning…

"Ugh."

She knew she'd have to open her eyes soon, but she dreaded how the light would feel. _Just a few more moments, _she thought – until she received the alarming sensation of something rough and wet none-too-gently caressing her face.

Her eyes snapped open. She found herself face to face with what appeared to be a large panther with luminous yellow-green eyes. Fighting the urge to scream, she bolted upright and looked around frantically. She was on a couch in some sort of office. Most of the furnishings were black, and one entire wall of the room consisted of floor to ceiling windows. It appeared to be just after sunset. The big cat eyed her curiously. It was all coming back to her now. She was at the Shinra building – and she wasn't alone.

Someone was standing by the window, silhouetted against the early evening stars and the twinkling lights of Midgar. She froze when she heard the voice.

"Back, Dark Nation. You know it's not polite to lick strangers."

_Oh, God. _

She knew that voice. Low but clear. Somehow smooth as silk and rough as sandpaper at the same time. Bored and arrogant. Rufus Shinra. Of all the people she _didn't_ need to be caught by…

"Mrarrr." The panther slinked back to her favorite shadowy corner. Rufus stepped away from the window and further into the dimly lit office, uncrossing his arms and taking several slow and deliberate strides toward her. He fixed her with his usual piercing stare.

Tifa spluttered. "Y—You—"

Rufus' boots made surprisingly little noise as he walked toward her, almost seeming to imitate the slinking movement of his pet. "My," he said with a slightly sour amusement, "what an eloquent greeting. I hope your brains didn't rattle loose in the fall."

He smirked as he observed the flustered woman, her burgundy eyes going wide at his comments. _Unusual eyes, _he thought, _I remember thinking that when I first saw her back then… _

Tifa felt incredibly helpless, and somewhat confused. Had he been…_teasing_ her just then? And she thought she remembered him being more…ruthless? Why hadn't he just locked her up? She trailed him with her eyes as he stalked across the smooth black floor. She was aware just then how little she really knew about him – apart from that he was _dangerous_.

Rufus sat down in the leather armchair which matched the couch the girl was occupying. With her dark hair and black clothing she almost melted into the dim surroundings. _But the eyes, the eyes hold a light all their own…_

He smirked at her.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this…unanticipated visit?"

**xxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxx**

Cloud wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat down on a boulder. He had finally reached his destination – well, the somewhat arbitrary one that he'd chosen back at the Chocobo Ranch, anyway. He'd thought long and hard and decided there were several places he'd like to travel to, to feel out and fish for the answers he sought. He wasn't expecting miracles…all he wanted was some peace.

The closest of the destinations had been Mideel; where he'd recovered from mako poisoning, and where the lifestream had exploded to the surface. He wasn't sure what he might find there, but he'd always sensed in that town a sort of…_closeness_ to the planet.

_The lifestream… The Cetra… Aeris…_

He'd been fortunate. Cid's prize gold chocobo, Ed, was still stabled at the ranch. The journey to Mideel had taken nearly no time with one of the world's fastest chocobos carrying him. Cloud had chuckled silently as he stabled the rather grumpy creature (so much like his master) in town. Ed…what kind of name was that for a chocobo?

He'd grabbed a quick, indescribably bland bite to eat in the ruined settlement before making the short hike to the spot where the lifestream was still open to the surface. He rose from the boulder and walked toward the deep crack in the earth.

_It's so muggy here. I wonder if that's the natural climate, or it has something to do with _this…

Cloud's strange eyes glowed brighter as he stood at the edge of the fissure and looked down. He was surprised – and somewhat alarmed – by what he saw. The glowing aqua green of the lifestream was closer to the surface than he'd last remembered. And it was…bubbling? If that's even the right word to describe it. And…a shape? What on earth?

Cloud leaned over, squinting. A trick of the light, perhaps? No. It was something…pink?

"_Cloud…"_

He gasped and flailed as he almost lost his footing. He looked around, expecting to see someone nearby that could have called to him.

"_Down here, Cloud. Please…"_

He looked once again into the churning lifestream. To his shock, a face began to form upon the surface. Cloud got down on his hands and knees, grabbing at the rough rocks and staring in disbelief.

"Aeris?!"

The face of Aeris Gainsborough smiled softly.

"_Cloud…you must trust me…jump in…"_

Cloud looked into Aeris' beautiful, sad eyes. "I—" He stood up, wrinkling his eyebrows in thought.

"_Cloud…I know how you suffer…and I know how to make it go away. I know, because I feel the same pain…"_

He could hear the pleading in her far away, ethereal voice. Aeris would never ask him to do something to harm himself…right?

Suddenly, seeing her face there, he knew he had to do it. He wanted to jump, even if it might kill him. This might be the only chance he'd get to find out why Aeris continued to haunt him. Tifa's tear stained face flashed briefly before him. _It's not like I have anything to lose anymore…_

Cloud Strife steeled himself and jumped, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he plummeted noiselessly toward the turbulent surface of the lifestream…

**xxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxx**

Tifa bit her lip and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. She could feel the cold and patient eyes of Rufus Shinra fixed upon her, waiting for an answer to his question.

_Should I just…tell him why I came? I guess my situation can't get much worse. _She slowly raised her eyes to meet his, and found him staring intently. _God, the way he looks at you…like you're the only thing in the world…you could get lost in eyes like that… _She cleared her throat. _What the hell am I thinking about?!_

Tifa blinked, gathering her strength and contemplating the best way to explain. "I…received a letter recently. From a friend in North Corel." Rufus raised an eyebrow and leaned forward in his chair. He flicked a strand of hair away from his face and loosely clasped his hands between his knees. His body language seemed to invite her to continue.

She looked him squarely in the eye, thinking about Barret's letter, and the possible implications should the worst be true. It was easier to confront him when she remembered that he could be responsible for sapping the precious life force from the planet even as they spoke.

"This friend asked for my help. Wanted me to find out if the Shinra Electric Power Company was actually stupid enough to be tampering with the Mt. Corel mako reactor." She looked at the president defiantly, her posture fearless, eyes burning with anger from the past and the present.

Rufus couldn't hide his surprise. _I guess it shouldn't shock me that AVALANCHE would maintain such close ties…they make quite the little information network. _He got up and poured himself a drink as he considered his answer. "Would you care for a drink?"

She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow impatiently. "All I would _care_ for is an explanation."

Rufus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. These AVALANCHE people really _were_ self-righteous. He didn't know why he didn't just have her thrown out of the building. He turned to face her, ice cold vodka from the Great Glacier in hand. "…Actually, it's not us. Someone else is doing it. Sorry to disappoint you. Will there be anything else?" He sipped the vodka.

Tifa's jaw dropped, Rufus' answer rendering her temporarily speechless. He returned fluidly to the armchair, settling into a surprisingly relaxed pose.

"But, then…who?"

"Hn. If I had that information, what makes you think I would give it to you? You're lucky I even dignified your accusations with any response at all."

She stood up, clutching her powerfully gloved hands at her sides. "I could always just beat it out of you!"

A hand flew to her mouth as soon as she uttered those words. _I can't believe I just threatened to pummel Rufus Shinra!_

Rufus didn't laugh. He was aware she was a skilled fighter. He slowly pulled back one flap of his jacket to reveal the handgun concealed there. He tended to take threats against his person quite seriously. He spoke in a bored but dangerous tone.

"I wouldn't recommend that, Miss Lockhart. It would be shame indeed if I had to shoot such a beautiful woman."

Tifa flushed with anger and embarrassment. _How dare he try to intimidate me! _

"Why should I believe what you say anyway? You could be lying through your teeth just to get rid of me!" She bit her lip.

The phone on Rufus' desk rang. He got up to answer it, not noticing the color that still lingered on Tifa's cheeks. She listened to Rufus' half of the phone conversation. It didn't reveal much.

"…Mmhm. Yes…very interesting…Yes, I'd like to leave as soon as possible. Prepare the helicopter…That's right, inform them. I'll see you on the roof in…" he looked at his watch and then over at Tifa. "20 minutes. And send Reeve up here, will you? …Yes. Thank you, Garver."

Rufus hung up the phone and clapped his hands together. "I'm afraid our little chat will have to end here. It has been most entertaining, but I'm afraid I have business to attend to. I'll have Reeve show you out after I've spoken with him."

Rufus shuffled a few papers, slipping them into an expensive looking briefcase. Tifa couldn't believe his nerve. Did he really think he'd be rid of her that easily? She walked over to stand in front of his desk. "Hold on! You haven't given me a straight answer! Do you really expect me to just go away?"

Rufus shrugged, snapping the briefcase shut. "I don't _expect_ you to do anything."

Reeve entered, lingering in the doorway. Rufus walked over to him, and the two shared an exchange of clipped phrases. Tifa had pretty good hearing, but she wasn't able to glean much.

"Turks…" "Junon..."  
"Corel…" "Reactor…"

"Developments…" "Investigate…."

Wait…_reactor?_ Tifa walked toward the two men. Rufus finished his final instruction to Reeve as he noticed Miss Lockhart approaching. _Stubborn woman…_

"Reeve, kindly show Miss Lockhart to the front entrance—"

Tifa interrupted. "Where are you going?"

Rufus looked at her as though she were a fly he wished to swat away. "Where I am going is none of your concern. _Good day, _Miss Lockhart." He turned to leave the office, and was surprised to feel a hand grab his arm firmly. _Bold_, he thought, looking down at the woman. _Doesn't she know when to quit?_

Tifa looked up into Rufus Shinra's plainly irritated face. "I heard you talking about the reactor just now. If you won't tell me what's going on, you're going to have to take me with you!" Tifa squeezed Rufus' arm through the expensive fabric of his coat. _I must be insane,_ she reasoned. She hazarded a glance into Rufus' steely eyes. _He's quite tall…_

"How do you know that has anything to do with where I'm going?"

She dropped her hand from his arm and pushed some hair behind her ear nervously. "Call it 'women's intuition'," she supplied.

Rufus observed the girl. _Look at her, _he thought, _trying to be so strong. But I can see the desperation in her eyes…_

"Give me _one_ good reason why I should let you tag along."

_I must be losing it, _thought Rufus, _but I suppose she could prove useful…_

Tifa was surprised. She looked from Rufus to Reeve and back. "I…well, if it's really not Shinra doing something with the reactors…I have friends that might know something… but they'd never tell _you_…" She looked at Reeve imploringly.

Reeve was leaning against the doorframe of the office, observing the two with curiosity. "Barret?" he asked her. She nodded. Reeve crossed his arms and addressed Rufus.

"Sir, she may be right. And even if she can't tell us anything we don't already know, she might be helpful in some capacity…"

Tifa looked back at Rufus, who sighed with resignation. The look on his face was almost similar to the pout of a petulant child. "Fine. But understand this. You will be going by _my_ rules. He took a step forward and looked down at her. They were practically toe to toe.

"And if you try any…_sabotage_, or get in my way, you _will_ be _extremely_ sorry." He stared directly into her eyes for a long moment. Tifa just managed not to crumble to tiny bits under the intense force of his gaze. Her knees felt like jelly by the time Rufus stepped away.

"Reeve, take care of things here, will you? And when you get that information I asked for…"

Tifa watched Reeve give a small, sharp nod. _I wonder what that's about…_ Rufus threw her one last icy glare and swept out of the office. Tifa stared after him in shock.

Reeve put a hand on her shoulder to snap her out of her trance. "You'd better follow him. He's not exactly the waiting type."

Tifa spared Reeve a quick smile. "Thanks." She grabbed the small bag she'd arrived with and ran out of the office, just in time to see Rufus enter the stairwell which presumably led to the roof. She dashed after him, hair flying behind her, slender legs working overtime.

_Barret…I'm coming!_

**xxxxxxxx  
xxxxxxxx**

So there we have it. I'm thinking about changing the name of this story. I don't know. I'm not sure the present title is really….doing it for me. Any opinions?

Next chapter, a special treat for everyone (as it certainly was when I was writing it): we'll finally rendezvous with the Turks!


	8. Spinning the Blades

Hi. Yes, this fic gets an update!

I did indeed change the name. Don't worry, this is the same story. I just got tired of Microsoft Word trying to tell me the words of the old title (L'Amour est une guerre) didn't exist. Plus, I thought the foreign title might've scared some people off. One reviewer said they thought it was a French language fic at first. So yeah. I haven't changed anything else.

This chapter originally, the way I planned it (silly me), had absolutely no Rufus/Tifa interaction. I changed it around a bit and added a fun little scene. Plus, I'm happy to announce that the Turks make their debut here. At a bar, of course. Anyone who has been reading my Yu-Gi-Oh fic as well as this will probably think I have a drinking problem now. LoL Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, and I refuse to pay Reno and Rude's bar tab. Rufus will just have to take care of it.

Dedication: This chapter is for a friend of mine. The character of Rufus' aide, Garver, is based on him. This friend is usually bugging me to write Harry Potter fics, but he's been reading this one even though he's never played Final Fantasy VII. He got interested when I was explaining about the Shinra Electric Power Company…because he works for a power company himself! I convinced him to come over to the dark side and work for Rufus. The pay is better, after all! Here you go, pal! An update for you. Slack off at work and read it!

**Love is Like a War  
****Chapter 7: Spinning the Blades**

The sound of yet another empty glass being slammed onto the bar echoed through the nearly empty basement tavern in Upper Junon. The room was dark and dingy, illuminated with little more than the sickly glare from obsolete neon signs which hung at intervals along the tobacco stained walls. It could have been Noon or Midnight; no light from the outside world reached the low-ceilinged cave of a bar room. It brought to mind the murkiest of pitch black caverns at the bottom of the sea, where the truly strange and hideous creatures dwelt…

In fact, it was around 2:30 in the afternoon, and the three weary patrons seated at the bar were giving the rat faced bartender little chance to rest. All three were clad in similar blue suits, gracing the ensemble with varying degrees of scruffiness. The two men were rapidly consuming doubles of whiskey, while the lone woman of the group sat slightly off to the side with a Shirley Temple in her hand and a disapproving expression on her face.

"You really _shouldn't_ be drinking like that. We're still technically on duty!" She admonished her companions, stabbing at the cherry in the bottom of her non-alcoholic drink with surprising violence.

The man sitting closest inclined his bald head toward her. He adjusted his dark sunglasses and loosened his tie. "Relax. Nothing more we can do until President Rufus arrives. Our message won't even reach Midgar for another few hours."

"But _still!_ What if—"

The other man interrupted, his unruly red hair crowned by a halo of smoke curling up from the cigarette in his hand. "Just can it, Elena! We did our job. We're entitled to a little R and R."

He drained the remaining liquor from his glass and slammed it onto the bar beside the three others which had accumulated there. "Hey barkeep! Another round for me and my friend here. I'm neat with a twist of lemon, he's on the rocks."

The bartender grumpily poured the cheap whiskey, mumbling to himself about needing to re-order already. The woman gave an exasperated sigh, running a hand through her neat blonde hair.

"Our _jobs_ will be the only thing on the rocks if you idiots are passed out somewhere when the boss arrives! This situation is _serious!_"

Reno groaned, mashing the butt of his cigarette into the ashtray. "God, woman, will you never loosen up? I dare you to name _one_ time when we've ever been too gooned to do our job!" He leered at her, taking a swig from his fresh drink.

Elena's mouth opened and closed silently, her cheeks flushing red as she shifted her gaze between the two men. "Well, but—"

"Look," Reno slurred, "it isn't our fault that those bitch pills you take have an alcohol advisory on the label. We didn't ask you to come down here and baby-sit us."

Rude snorted in amusement, apparently viewing the ice cubes in his glass with keen interest.

Elena leaned in, her eyes angry and her voice desperate. "Aren't you two worried at all? What we saw in Corel City was not good! That Dio guy is power-mad! And the reactors! He must have ex-Shinra people working for him! Who else would know how to—"

Rude cut her off. "Would you _be quiet_?" He motioned to the barman, a mere 10 feet away tampering with the broken jukebox. "You always pick the worst times to run your mouth. Maybe it's _better_ that you don't drink…" He lapsed back into his usual silence.

Elena put a hand over her mouth. She never _had_ learned to control what flew out of her mouth when she got overexcited…or in front of whom.

Reno lit another cigarette, shifting slowly to face them. His thin lips twisted into a thoughtful frown. He kept his voice low. "I can think of one more group that had access to detailed reactor schematics. Can't you?"

Rude continued to stare at his glass, nodding slowly. Elena's honey brown eyes widened in understanding. "You don't mean—"

Smoke escaped lazily from Reno's mouth and nostrils. "Yeah. AVALANCHE."

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "No _way_! I mean, yeah, they might have the information, but they were trying to _destroy_ the reactors back then! They could never be the ones trying to bring mako energy back!"

The slim red haired Turk shrugged. "You never know. Maybe Strife thinks it'll bring back his dead girlfriend. Or what about Valentine? He's damaged goods sure enough. People change, Elena. Just because they were 'good guys' then doesn't mean they always will be."

Reno fixed her with a slightly glazed stare from his grayish eyes. _The drunken idiot has a point_, she thought. She watched as he poured himself off the barstool and slunk across the room, ducking silently into the men's toilets.

She shifted her attention to Rude, who seemed to be contemplating something. It was often difficult to tell. "Rude…do you really think AVALANCHE could be involved? I mean, we haven't seen any signs that they are…could Reno be right?"

The bald Turk frowned. It seemed far fetched, but still…they hadn't encountered any old Shinra people yet either. "I guess it's at least worth mentioning to the boss. Strife always was a bit loopy. And who knows about the rest of them…"

Elena's thoughts clamored against each other as she ate the cherry from her drink. When had the world gone so topsy-turvy? She'd thought things would get back to normal after the near apocalypse and everything else that had happened, but things only seemed to get stranger.

_I guess you never know who you can trust, _she thought, _Not if you can reasonably suspect the same people who saved the world of doing something that might destroy it…_

_But those are just wild suspicions; _she rationalized as Reno knocked one of the empty whiskey glasses to the floor. _From a drunk person, at that…_

She'd never felt so cynical as she did right then, looking at herself and her fellow Turks in the dirty bar mirror. They were good people, weren't they? She listened absently to the punch line of Reno's dirty joke. A bit amoral and ruthless, maybe, but certainly not _evil…_

And yet, back then they'd actively worked against the very group that eventually saved the world from destruction.

_Even good people do bad things, _she thought. _And just think of all the people out there who really _are _bad…_

**xxxxxx  
****xxxxxx**

"Mmm, you're so _bad_"

"You know you love it, you pervert."

Scarlet gave a big fake smile as she rolled off of her husband. The smile was just as artificial as the orgasm he thought she'd just had. Dio stretched and gave a long sigh born of pure male satisfaction. "How could I not become a pervert with such a naughty wife?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes discreetly, blonde hair spilling across her pillow in disarray. Her skin crawled as she felt Dio's arm draping across her abdomen possessively. "I guess you just got lucky."

She turned to look at him. His normally stern and craggy face was relaxed, muscled chest peeking out above the red satin sheet that covered them both. He really was an attractive man, if you liked that sort of thing. Personally, she thought he was too muscular, his hair too dark and long, his eyes not piercing enough…

"Ugh," she groaned, putting a hand over her eyes. She did _not_ like where that train of thought was leading…

"Something bothering you, muffin?" He gave her what he thought was a reassuring squeeze.

"Err, no. I was, uh, just thinking about that Gongaga reactor."

Dio sighed. "You shouldn't think about work all the time. Besides, the project is going well. Just relax, sweetheart."

"I know," she said. Even though she had brought the subject up to hide what she'd really been thinking about, it made sense to continue the conversation. She did have concerns that she needed addressed…

"That's not what I'm worried about."

He reached over and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. He knew better than to ignore his wife's concerns. She was his most trusted advisor. "What's on your mind?"

Scarlet propped her head up on one arm, facing him. "Cosmo Canyon," she answered. "We don't have enough mako yet for my new weapons, and I'm afraid they might get wise to our plans…you know the place is an old AVALANCHE stronghold. The people there won't stand by and watch us activate the Gongaga reactor."

"Hmm," Dio puzzled. She might be right; the place _was_ always full of planet zealots…

"What do you suggest?"

_Suggest? _Scarlet said to herself. _More like dictate. As if he'd dare to disagree…_

"Perhaps a surprise attack? They are well fortified, but we could surely overpower them. Our men are well trained, and the Canyon has few weapons. Best to get them out of the way…"

Dio started to smile slowly. "Well, it _would_ be a good test for the men…and if you're really that concerned about the reactor, how can I say no?"

_You _can't, _you chump._

Scarlet smiled with satisfaction and snuggled down into her pillow. Everything was proceeding according to her brilliant designs…

**xxxxxx  
****xxxxxx**

_Please let us land…please, please, PLEASE…_

Tifa was sitting in the high-tech Shinra helicopter with extreme trepidation as it approached Junon. Pretty embarrassing, really; she'd flown around in all sorts of aircraft, been in hundreds of situations more dangerous…

…but Tifa Lockhart was _petrified_ of helicopters.

It wasn't so much the sensation of flying around in one. That wasn't much different from a plane or an airship. It was the landing that always tested her resolve.

_Please let me not die!_

**xxxxxx**

Rufus Shinra observed the woman seated across from him as she tightened her already white-knuckled grip on her armrest. So there _was_ something that frightened her. Rufus _never_ would've expected it to be _this_.

Didn't she used to zoom around in Highwind's airship with her little hero friends? The Highwind, he knew, flew much faster and higher than this helicopter. From what Rufus had heard, she'd even parachuted into Midgar once. Clearly, it wasn't a simple dislike of heights. It had to be the helicopter itself. _Must be some irrational girlish phobia…_

He noticed the paleness of her face. She really _did_ look scared. Rufus fixed his eyes upon her trembling full bottom lip as the helicopter began descending toward the landing pad. She seemed to be breathing in short gasps. The wind whipped noisily around them, stirred by the helicopter blades. Rufus' gaze trailed along the smooth line of her neck down to her heaving chest, inadvertently catching a glimpse of the enticingly soft curves of her breasts where they came together inside her low-cut black shirt.

Rufus raised an eyebrow. The girl's heart was fairly pounding out of her chest. If he hadn't known that it was fear making her like this, he'd have sworn she was…_excited._

Fear and arousal _could_ be similar sensations sometimes, could they not?

The young president smoothed his overcoat as his aide Garver expertly touched the helicopter down. As soon as he heard the engine cut out, Rufus unlatched the door and hopped fluidly down to the tarmac a couple feet below. The blades of the chopper were still spinning. Looking back inside, Rufus saw that the girl hadn't moved yet. He really didn't understand the fuss, but he'd been jumping on and off of helicopters since age 10.

"Come along, Miss Lockhart." He motioned impatiently to her. Rufus was tired, and the wind was screwing up his hair.

**xxxxxx**

Tifa let out a huge sigh of relief as the helicopter landed safely. She hardly noticed when Rufus jumped out of the craft, so glad was she to be back on the ground in one piece. As she massaged her hand – sore from gripping her armrest – rational thought returned to her.

Rufus had been looking at her strangely a few moments ago. It was quite absurd really, and pretty difficult to believe; but Tifa had been ogled enough times in her days as a bartender to know when a man was staring at her breasts.

_Oh God, _she worried, biting her lip. _I hope he isn't expecting me to sleep with him in return for bringing mehere!_

"Come along, Miss Lockhart."

She looked out the helicopter door and saw Rufus gesturing to her. What, he expected her to jump out while the blades were still spinning? She could lose her head!

"Look, I haven't got all night!" He reached a hand out to her. She snorted. _Well isn't _he_ the gentleman…_

Tifa tripped slightly as she reached out for Rufus' offered hand. Next thing she knew, she'd fallen ungracefully out the helicopter door…

…and straight into Rufus' waiting arms.

He had grabbed her without a thought; one arm around her shoulders, the other supporting her with his hand splayed at the small of her back. Her arms had slid around his neck as she'd fallen into him. Now her face was pressed into his chest as he held her firmly. She could smell his expensive cologne; cool and fresh, with something a little spicy underneath.

He was…firmer than she would have expected. She could feel lean muscles pressed against the whole length of her body. She slowly lifted her head, and found Rufus looking down at her with an unreadable expression. His red-blonde hair fluttered gently around his face, and his eyes seemed a brighter blue than usual…

Almost as soon as the strange moment began, it was over. Rufus released her gently, but unceremoniously. He turned away from her before he could see her blushing bright red with embarrassment. He strode toward the aide that had been flying the helicopter.

"Garver, would you please find Miss Lockhart some sleeping quarters? It's getting rather late."

Tifa opened her mouth to say something, maybe ask what the plan was, but no words seemed to come out. Not that it mattered – Rufus had already walked halfway across the tarmac.

Tifa's mind and body reeled as she followed Garver through the access door to Shinra's Upper Junon compound. What a day she'd had…and if you'd told her it would end with her being held by Rufus Shinra, she'd probably have laughed and told you to go to hell.

Now she had something else to think about, too.

She was thinking that she never would have believed that ice-cold President Rufus would have such a warm, inviting body…

**xxxxxxxx  
****xxxxxxxx**

Voila! I know it seems a little weird for Tifa to be scared of helicopter landings, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. I just had to contrive _some_ way to get her into Rufus' arms! I hope this chapter was enjoyable. Leave me a review (this means you, Garver! LoL)


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